Warren Jones Youth Regatta 2011 - Aussie David Gilmour’s strong start

Young Australian skipper David Gilmour made a strong start to the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta, he suffered only one defeat from eight races, to head the leaderboard at the end of day one.

His only loss of the day was in his last match, against club-mate Peter Nicholas from Perth’s Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, a familiar rival and sparring partner.

'We started the first round robin pretty well,' commented Gilmour, 'we didn’t drop a race until the last one, against Pete Nicholas, we were a bit devastated to lose to the other local guy.

'There’s a bit of rivalry between us, because we’re always racing against each other, but we’re happy with how we’re going, so hopefully we can keep it going.'

Two skippers share second place with two losses from eight races, last year’s winner William Tiller from Auckland’s Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and David Chapman of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, though when they met the Aucklander beat the Sydneysider.

With conditions having settled down after Perth’s near encounter with a tropical cyclone over the weekend, the breeze was steady for most of the day and the race officer, John Rosser was able to complete the first round robin.

Gilmour, who lost the final of last week’s Colin Mullins event in very light and shifty conditions also appreciated the steadier breeze, 'we liked having a bit more wind, it was a bit more predictable, we were able to sail how we want to.'

With a week of sailing together under their belts, Gilmour’s team are gelling well, he is forming a good relationship with tactician and mainsheet man Garth Ellingham, while the rest of the crew – Jasper Warren, Adam Negri and Luke Payne – are used to sailing together.

The Warren Jones International Youth Regatta is being hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club and run by Swan River Sailing, with the course set on the Swan River’s Matilda Bay.

The event is being sailed in Swan River Sailing’s fleet of Foundation 36 yachts, and concludes on Thursday afternoon with a final series.